Tenants
Tenants
Notes and pointers to help ensure a smooth and enjoyable tenancy
Moving in
Before anything is signed and sealed, prospective tenants are required to pay upfront costs, including four weeks bond, a weeks rent in advance, and a letting fee (incl. GST) of one weeks rent. Once an agreed lease term is determined, the lease agreement is discussed with the tenants and any additional clauses requested by tenants or owners are drawn up. We take the necessary steps to outline core responsibilities of both parties under the Residential Tenancy Act.
Before moving into the property, a bond will be required to be paid across to us. This is equivalent to four weeks rent. We will lodge the bond with the Department of Building & Housing, and at the end of the tenancy will be paid back to the tenants upon a final inspection report confirming no damages or deductions.
Property Condition Report
Prior to handing the keys over, a Property Condition Report is prepared and provided to tenants for review. This report contains extensive details of the property (cleanliness, damage, list of furniture & fittings etc.), including 150+ high resolution photos generated by iProperty Express. The Property Condition Report is required to be signed and returned within the first week of a tenant moving into the property. It is imperative any issues are ironed out at this stage, as the Tenancy Tribunal will place heavy reliance on this document under a disputes process. This document is also what is used to checkout a tenant at the end of a lease and ensures the property is left in the same condition as when the tenant first took possession with the exception of fair wear and tear.
Throughout the tenancy
Rent
The Tenancy Agreement stipulates that tenants are to pay rent in advance and before a specific due date. For example, if tenants move in on a Friday, then rent is to start on this day, and is due each Friday thereafter. We suggest that tenants arrange for rent payments to be made a day earlier than the due date to ensure it reaches us on time. If in the event tenants are unable to meet rent payments, it is important tenants contact us immediately, in order to resolve the situation.
Routine inspections
In addition to the entry and exit inspections, during the course of the tenancy, we will complete routine inspections after the first 8 weeks, then every 12 weeks thereafter . Before carrying these out, we will provide tenants with written notification and a text reminder.
Insurance
The property owner has insurance on the land and building. This does not cover tenants' personal things and we do recommend speaking with an insurance broker about contents insurance. The landlord and ourselves will not be held responsible for any damage or loss of your items whilst they are in the property.
Repairs and Maintenance
If tenants require maintenance of a property and it is non-urgent please email your property manager with the details or use the online maintenance form available on our website. If urgent and out-of-hours, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.
Unless stated as a special condition in the Tenancy Agreement, maintenance of the lawns and gardens and edges are the responsibility of the tenants. If required, we can provide our preferred supplier contact details.
Moving out or changing tenants
Breaking lease
If tenants wish to move out before the fixed term tenancy expires, please contact your property manager. The owner of the property may allow us to try to find new tenants for the property in order to allow the lease to run until its expiry. Please note, the leaving tenants will be liable for advertising and administration fees. Also, the leaving tenants must cover rent up to when the new tenants can physically move in – this includes the 2 working days we always require between tenancies.
Replacing tenants
Any new flatmates are required to submit an application form and pass a credit check. Tenants will also need to be added to the tenancy agreement and bond forms, in which we charge a fee for this. The departing flatmate and new flatmate are to arrange the bond transfer between themselves. Please contact your property manager if there has been a change (or a foreseeable change) in tenants.
Property viewings
Once a tenant gives notice of vacating a property, please be understanding that we will require access to show prospective tenants through the property. We will always provide tenants with notice of viewings and a property manager will be present the entire time.
Exit inspection
We will complete the move out inspection immediately after the end of the lease. Tenants will need to have cleaned the property, removed belongings and handed the keys back to us. We will be in contact immediately to discuss any issues. Please note, tenants may be asked to return to complete further cleaning or garden work that is required before any bonds are refunded. To save tenants time and money, we provide a helpful check list to assist with the vacating process.